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June 2009, Vol.9, No. 6
Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:
- New GAO report shows how using seclusion and restraints has resulted in violence and even death of special education students.
- New book on Disability and Public Health provides a thorough introduction to disability issues to students of public health and related disciplines.
- New study shows that most cancers are rare in people with Down syndrome due to extra copies of gene.
- U.S. state of California faces a 12-fold increase in autism between 1987 through 2007, shows new report.
- Attend a free Supports Intensity Scale Training Workshop at the AAIDD Annual Meeting in Louisiana
NEW GAO REPORT SHOWS HOW USING SECLUSION AND RESTRAINTS HAS RESULTED IN VIOLENCE AND EVEN DEATH OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found several cases of abuse of special education students due to restraints and seclusion over the past twenty years. In addition, the report points out that there are no federal laws restricting the use of seclusion and restraints in public and private schools and at the state level, the laws are widely divergent. Click here to read Seclusions and Restraints: Selected Cases of Death and Abuse at Public and Private Schools and Treatment Centers. On May 19, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) held a hearing entitled, "Examining the Abusive and Deadly Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Schools” and on May 22, Representative Phil Hare (D-IL) introduced the Positive Behavior for Effective Schools Act (HR 2597). To read more, read AUCD’s Legislative News in Brief report at http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=4133&parent=164&parent_title=Legislative%20News%20InBrief.
In related news, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities has just published a new second edition of Designing Positive Behavior Support Plans by Linda M. Bambara and Timothy P. Knoster. The book presents the steps it takes to gather important information about problem behaviors in children and develop and implement comprehensive positive behavior support plans successfully in classrooms. To learn more, visit https://bookstore.aaidd.org/BookDetail.aspx?bid=76.
NEW BOOK ON DISABILITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH PROVIDES A THOROUGH INTRODUCTION TO DISABILITY ISSUES TO STUDENTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND RELATED DISCIPLINES
Public health professionals have had few opportunities to learn about disability in a public health context. Disability and Public Health, a co-publication of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the American Public Health Association, provides a thorough roadmap to professionals and describes how disability complements a public health context. By promoting an understanding of disability, the book provides a basis for enhancing the success of all of public health initiatives. The book is edited by Charles E. Drum, Gloria L. Krahn, and Hank Bersani Jr. To learn more, visit https://bookstore.aaidd.org/BookDetail.aspx?bid=96.
NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT MOST CANCERS ARE RARE IN PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME DUE TO EXTRA COPIES OF GENE
Most cancers are rare in people with Down syndrome, whose overall cancer mortality is below 10 percent of that in the general population. Since people with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, it has been proposed that this group may be getting an extra dose of one or more cancer-protective genes. Harvard University researchers have confirmed this idea and have identified specific new therapeutic targets for treating cancer. To learn more, click here to read a news release issued by the Children’s Hospital in Boston. The study, titled, “Down's syndrome suppression of tumour growth and the role of the calcineurin inhibitor DSCR1” is published in the May 20 online edition of Nature. Click here to read an abstract on the study.
U.S. STATE OF CALIFORNIA FACED A 12-FOLD INCREASE IN AUTISM BETWEEN 1987 THROUGH 2007, SHOWS NEW REPORT
A new study released by California’s Department of Developmental Services reveals that the state saw a 12-fold increase during the past two decades in the number of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) receiving services through regional centers. Currently, there are more than 38,000 people in California receiving services for ASD, a growth that has averaged 13.4 percent annually since 2002. If the trend continues, the state may serve as many as 70,000 people with ASD by June 2012. To read Autism Spectrum Disorders, Changes in the California Caseload, An Update: June 1987 – June 2007, click here.
In other autism news, UCLA scientists have discovered a variant of a gene called CACNA1G that may increase a child's risk of developing autism, particularly in boys. Click here to read more. Also, the annual cost of autism to Britain is $42 billion. To read more, click here.
ATTEND A FREE SUPPORTS INTENSITY SCALE ASSESSMENT TRAINING WORKSHOP AT THE AAIDD ANNUAL MEETING IN LOUISIANA
The Annual Meeting of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) from June 9-12, 2009, features a training workshop on the Supports Intensity Scale assessment for people with intellectual disabilities. The 3-hour training workshop will be held Tuesday, June 9 from 1-4 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New Orleans. The workshop is titled, “SIS: From Theory to Practice” is a review of the new supplemental procedures in scoring and administering SIS. AAIDD trainer, Natalie Ihli, will explore lessons learned from the last four years of training. If you plan to attend, please send an RSVP email to books@aaidd@org. To learn more about the 2009 AAIDD Annual Meeting, click here.
The Supports Intensity Scale is an assessment tool that measures the support needs of people with intellectual disabilities in 84 life areas to help professionals plan services. Currently, SIS is adopted by 14 U.S. states and Canadian provinces and the Scale has been translated into more than 10 languages. To learn more, visit www.siswebsite.org.